The windward slopes of Mount Haleakala are very rainy as well, so much so that rainfall exceeds 6,000 mm (235 in) per year. For example, at the top of Mount Wai'ale'ale, 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) above sea level, on the island of Kaua'i, 9,500 mm (374 in) of rain fall per year (according to other sources, the amount is as high as 11,500 mm or 453 in), which makes it one of the rainiest places in the world. Here are the average temperatures of the Mauna Kea Observatory.Īs we said before, on the windward slopes, it rains often at low altitudes, but at intermediate altitudes, it rains almost every day. The lowest record is -11 ☌ (12 ☏), but since the average minimum of January and February is -3 ☌ (27 ☏), even in this case, the record does not differ too much from the average. So on the highest mountains, above a certain altitude, a mountain desert is found, which becomes cold above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft).Īt the Mauna Kea Observatory, at 4,200 meters (13,800 feet) above sea level, the average temperature in the coldest months is around freezing however, at night, it can drop below freezing all year round. Here too, precipitation is more abundant on the slopes exposed to the trade winds than on the leeward ones moreover, they are more abundant at intermediate levels, since the trade winds only blow from sea level to about 1,800 meters (5,900 ft). Obviously, as the altitude increases, the climate becomes gradually colder. On the other main islands, there are lower volcanoes. On the island of Maui, we find Haleakala (or East Maui Volcano), 3,055 meters (10,023 ft) high. The highest volcanoes are found on the island of Hawai'i, and are Mauna Kea, 4,205 meters (13,796 feet) and Mauna Loa, 4,169 meters (13,679 ft). Here is the average precipitation at the international airport. However, the amount varies according to the district: at the university, located near the green hills overlooking the city, it reaches 1,000 mm (40 in) per year, with more abundant rains from November to March, and some extra showers also in summer. In summer, rare downpours occur, when the strongest thunderstorms, produced by the trade winds on the other side, manage to pass over the mountain ridges.Īt the Honolulu airport, located on the coast, only 415 mm (16.4 in) of rain fall per year, with a maximum from November to March and a minimum from April to September. Rainfall on the leeward side is generally lower than 1,000 mm (40 in) per year, with a minimum from May to September and a maximum from December to March: in practice, it rains especially in winter, when the clash between air masses can produce wet currents from the southwest. Honolulu - Average temperatures (1991-2020) Month Being on the leeward side, where the trade winds create a sort of slight down-slope, foehn-type effect, Honolulu is one of the warmest places in Hawaii. In the capital, Honolulu, located on the southern side of the island of O'ahu, the daytime temperature ranges from 27 ☌ (81 ☏) between January and March to 30.5/31.5 ☌ (87/89 ☏) between June and October. Trade winds on the island of O'ahu Honolulu Climate chart - Honolulu This situation also occurs on other islands where elevations are found in the interior, while flat islands such as Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe are entirely arid. In the following map, we can see a scheme of the situation, relative to the island of O'ahu: the trade winds bring rainfall on the exposed slopes and hot and dry weather on the leeward slopes. Rainfall is influenced by the trade winds, so it varies according to slope orientation: you can move from a forest to a desert in a few kilometers (or miles), just by climbing over a hill. At sea level, the highest recorded temperatures are about 35 ☌ (95 ☏), while the lowest are about 11 ☌ (52 ☏). This happens both because of the location at tropical latitudes and because of the enormous distance from the continents, from which cold or hot air masses could arrive. The temperatures vary little also when compared with the averages. Temperatures in Hawaii vary little throughout the year they tend to be a bit lower on the windward slopes, and a little higher, but with lower humidity, on the leeward slopes. The mountains - Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Pohakuloa.The trade winds, constant winds blowing from the north-east, strongly influence the climate of these islands, creating microclimates, wet or dry, depending on slope exposure. In Hawaii, an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean, just south of the Tropic of Cancer, there is a tropical climate, with a hot season from June to October (called kau in the Hawaiian language) and a relatively cool season ( hooilo) from December to March.
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